Can any one explain what Sutters rational was to signing Stajan for so much for such a long time ? Maybe he was trying to justify his trading Phaneuf...what was the man thinking. It was one of those signing I suspect every one sat up and noticed and thought what the Hell is he thinking ??

BCExpat wrote:
Yeah - but this re-signing was Feaster's doing. Babchuk is great at playing the point on the power play, but that's about it. Lots of tough times ahead for the Flames.

I thought Babchuk was better then Phaneuf?

Like I said - Babchuk is good on the point for the powerplay. He's slow and isn't very good defensively. So, Brodie is now getting a shot, and could very well replace Babchuk in the lineup. As for being better than Phaneuf - as flames, both Babchuk and Phaneuf sucked.

I see Iginla was minus 2 and had only one shot last night. His team entered the 3rd down 3-1 and was still outshot 11-3 in that period. This against the worst team in the league, with Curtis Sanford in net.

Is Iginla's strong leadership indeed a myth?

He was one 2004 game 7 OT goal away from never advancing past the 1st round of the playoffs in 14 seasons. You can bring forth all the anecdotal evidence you want, but the actual evidence appears to be right there.

Larry Goodenough wrote:I see Iginla was minus 2 and had only one shot last night. His team entered the 3rd down 3-1 and was still outshot 11-3 in that period. This against the worst team in the league, with Curtis Sanford in net.

Is Iginla's strong leadership indeed a myth?

He was one 2004 game 7 OT goal away from never advancing past the 1st round of the playoffs in 14 seasons. You can bring forth all the anecdotal evidence you want, but the actual evidence appears to be right there.

It's a team game. Iggy isn't going to do it himself. I don't think Jesus Christ himself could have done much more with the type of team the Flames have. They just never managed to get enough talent around Iggy to do better. The entire team looks like they are just going through the motions. I'm sure they will blow up the team by year's end. It's long overdue. Also, I hope they keep Sutter as coach. He did a great job with his Red Deer Rebels. When the Flames rebuild, I think he would be a good coach to mentor a young group.

BCExpat wrote:
It's a team game. Iggy isn't going to do it himself. I don't think Jesus Christ himself could have done much more with the type of team the Flames have. They just never managed to get enough talent around Iggy to do better. The entire team looks like they are just going through the motions. I'm sure they will blow up the team by year's end. It's long overdue. Also, I hope they keep Sutter as coach. He did a great job with his Red Deer Rebels. When the Flames rebuild, I think he would be a good coach to mentor a young group.

Sutter will be gone, and Feaster will have the green light to blow it all up. It's long overdue. That Flames team hasn't shown much in recent seasons, even when they get to the playoffs they're out first round. Generally, when an aging team with a history of making the playoffs stops making the playoffs, it's time for a change.

For me, some of the franchise moves have been downright terrible. Take the Phaneuf trade, what did they get in return for him? Mayers, Hagman, Stajan and White? Phaneuf is again on pace for a 50+ point season, while Stajan is the only guy still playing for Calgary, and has 3 assists on the year. Say what you will about locker-room disruptions and chemistry, that is terrible asset management. How many times are they going to bring Jokinen back?

If I'm Feaster I'm dumping everyone save Iginla, and I'm asking him what HE wants to do. If he wants to move on, then I do everything I can to move him. He's earned that right. Everyone else is trade bait. There's just not much to like about the future there...

BCExpat wrote:
It's a team game. Iggy isn't going to do it himself. I don't think Jesus Christ himself could have done much more with the type of team the Flames have. They just never managed to get enough talent around Iggy to do better. The entire team looks like they are just going through the motions. I'm sure they will blow up the team by year's end. It's long overdue. Also, I hope they keep Sutter as coach. He did a great job with his Red Deer Rebels. When the Flames rebuild, I think he would be a good coach to mentor a young group.

Sutter will be gone, and Feaster will have the green light to blow it all up. It's long overdue. That Flames team hasn't shown much in recent seasons, even when they get to the playoffs they're out first round. Generally, when an aging team with a history of making the playoffs stops making the playoffs, it's time for a change.

For me, some of the franchise moves have been downright terrible. Take the Phaneuf trade, what did they get in return for him? Mayers, Hagman, Stajan and White? Phaneuf is again on pace for a 50+ point season, while Stajan is the only guy still playing for Calgary, and has 3 assists on the year. Say what you will about locker-room disruptions and chemistry, that is terrible asset management. How many times are they going to bring Jokinen back?

If I'm Feaster I'm dumping everyone save Iginla, and I'm asking him what HE wants to do. If he wants to move on, then I do everything I can to move him. He's earned that right. Everyone else is trade bait. There's just not much to like about the future there...

I agree with what you are saying, except for Sutter. I wouldn't automatically assume he's gone. Lets face it, this team has gone through a number of coaches in the last few years. It's become crystal clear that it isn't a coaching problem - it's a player personnel problem. The core of this team has run it's course. Time for change. As for the trades you mention, they were all horrible trades, however, the man that made those trades is not there anymore. Feaster still has to prove himself, but I think he's heading in the right direction.

Larry Goodenough wrote:I see Iginla was minus 2 and had only one shot last night. His team entered the 3rd down 3-1 and was still outshot 11-3 in that period. This against the worst team in the league, with Curtis Sanford in net.

Is Iginla's strong leadership indeed a myth?

He was one 2004 game 7 OT goal away from never advancing past the 1st round of the playoffs in 14 seasons. You can bring forth all the anecdotal evidence you want, but the actual evidence appears to be right there.

It's a team game. Iggy isn't going to do it himself. I don't think Jesus Christ himself could have done much more with the type of team the Flames have. They just never managed to get enough talent around Iggy to do better. The entire team looks like they are just going through the motions. I'm sure they will blow up the team by year's end. It's long overdue. Also, I hope they keep Sutter as coach. He did a great job with his Red Deer Rebels. When the Flames rebuild, I think he would be a good coach to mentor a young group.

I'm not just talking about this year's Iginla. I'm referring to his whole body of work.

And would a leader of Iginla's supposed ilk allow his team to go through the motions, or appear to go through the motions himself.

Or you seem to be leaning towards "leadership" in pro sports being a myth? And instead, talent and individual drive is what's most important?

BCExpat wrote:
I agree with what you are saying, except for Sutter. I wouldn't automatically assume he's gone. Lets face it, this team has gone through a number of coaches in the last few years. It's become crystal clear that it isn't a coaching problem - it's a player personnel problem. The core of this team has run it's course. Time for change. As for the trades you mention, they were all horrible trades, however, the man that made those trades is not there anymore. Feaster still has to prove himself, but I think he's heading in the right direction.

That might be true, but won't Feaster want to put his own stamp on the team? Will Sutter even WANT to coach a full rebuild? If the players have tuned him out now, how much more losing can this guy take? The Flames need an identity. It seems like a lot of what they've done is knee-jerk. They really do need to blow it up and start from scratch...

I was surprised Feaster kept Sutter on to start the season, to be honest. I think he'll make the move in the offseason, maybe "promote" him to elsewhere in the organization.